Fluid drain trap



' Aug.'6,'1940;

A C. RECKER l FLUID DRAIN TRAP Filed Nov. 29, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MW l 37 lililllllll Patented ug. 6, 1940 Arsen" orrrcs FLUID DRAIN TRAP Adolph C'. Hecker, Watertown, Conn., assigner to Chase Brass et Copper Co. Incorporated, Waterbury, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application November 29, 1939, Serial No. 306,604

l2 Claims.

This invention relates to fluid drain-traps of the type whereby, for instance, water may be drained from the ice compartment of a refrigerator without permitting appreciable ingress of air into such ice compartment.

One of the objects of the present invention is toy provide a superior drain-trap system for refrigerators.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a superior drain-trap system lfor refrigerators, which may be readily removed and reinstalled to permit convenient and frequent cleansing.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a superior drain-trap unit for refrigerators, which is effective in preventing ingress of air into the ice compartment of a refrigerator and which may be readily removed from its associated conduit or conduits.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a superior drain-trap unit which is axially contractible and expansible to accommodate itself to various conditions of installation.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a superior drain-trap unit for refrigerators and the like which is readily taken apart and reassembled without the use of tools to facilitate periodic cleansing.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a superior drain-trap unit combining convenience of disassembly with a flushing-discharge for the purpose of assisting in maintaining the drain conduit to which it Amight be connected, .in a thoroughly flushed and clean condition.

With the above and `other objects in View, as will appear to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure, this invention includes all features inthe said disclosure which are novel over the prior art.

In the accompanying drawings, in which certain modes of carrying out the present invention are shown 4for illustrative purposes:

Fig. 1 is a broken View in vertical section of a refrigerator showing the installation therein of a drain-trap system and a drain-trap embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 isa fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l, but on a larger scale;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; v

Fig. 4 is a similar View but taken on the line l--t of Fig. 2;

Fig, 5v isa perspective'view of the cap-member of vthedrain-trap; w

. Fig. 6 is a similar view of the body-member thereof together with the Weir-tube carried thereby;

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the Weir-guard;

bearing the reference character I4, is shown.

The walls just referred to may be of any suitable construction and, as shown, have a composite character having suitable heat-insulating material therein. The front-wall is provided with the usual insulatedupper door I providing access into an ice compartment I6 in the upper portion of the refrigerator, and a lower door l1 providing access into a food compartment i8 located beneath the icecompartment I6 just referred to.

The ice compartment I6 and the food compartment i3 arey substantially divided from each other by a drain-tray I9 having, in the instance shown, a downwardlyand rearwardly-sloping bottom provided adjacent its rear terminus with a depending drain-nipple 20, which may be soldered .or otherwise secured to the said draintray 19.

The lower end of the `drain-nipple 2l) above referred tojts within a cuff 2| inwardlyand downwardly-turned from the upper edge of a tubular cap-'member 22 which may be conveniently made of copper or other corrosion-resisting ma- -terial. The cuff 2l ris formed integral with the upper edge of the cap-member 22 and, in turn, has vprojecting inwardly from its lower edge a stop-liange 23, the upper surface of which is pressed, `by means to be hereinafter described, against the lower edge of the drain-nipple 2o. The stop-flange 23 is centrally apertured, as is especially well shown in Fig. 5, and is formed with four (more-or less) radial notches 24.

The lower portion of the tubular cap-member 22 .is adapted to telescopically t Within the enlarged tubular upper portion 25 of a substantially cup-shaped hollow body-member 26.' The cylindrically-contoured lower portion 21 of the body-member 2E is integral with the upper portion 25 but is slightly smaller in diameter than the same. The lower portion 21 is formed with a bottom wall 23 which is centrally apertured for the reception `of the relatively-.slender upper portion of a Weir-tube 29. The said Weir-tube 29 extends axially with respect to the body-member 26 and is suitably soldered to the bottom wall 28, so that its relatively-large-diameter lo-wer portion depends below the said bottom wall.

Installed partly within the body-member 26 and partly within the cap-member 22 is a helical spring 3B' having its lower end seated against the bottom wall 28 and having its upper end seated against the under face of the cuff 2| at a point adjacent the junction of the said cuff with the -cap-member 22 proper. The said spring 30, as thus constructed and arranged, exerts a constant effort to axially separate the cap-member 22 from the body-member 26.

Encircled by the lower portion of the spring 30 and iitting over the upper portion of the weirtube 29 is an inverted cup-shaped Weir-guard 3l having a downwardly-struck diametrical supporting-rib 32 in its end wall, which normally rests upon the upper edge of the Weir-tube 29 and prevents the end wall of the Weir-guard 3l Vfrom sealing the open upper end of the said Weir-tube.

The lower end of the body-member 26 fits partially within the funnel-like upper end 33 of an upper drain-tube 33. The said funnel-like upper end 33 of the drain-tube 34 is struck-up to provide three (more or less) upwardly-and-outwardly-extending supporting-ribs 35 which serve to hold the lower end of the body-member 26 suiciently above the major portion of the upper surface of the said funnel-like upper end 33 of the drain-tube 34 to permit condensed moisture from the said body-member 26 to drain downwardly into the drain-tube 34.

At its lower end, the upper drain-tube 34 is provided with a reduced portion 36 which telescopically fits within the upper end of a lower drain-tube 3l. Adjacent its lower end the lower drain-tube 3l is formed with a stop-bead 38 engaging the upper surface of a flanged drain-fitting 39 installed in and extending vertically through the bottom-wall i2 of the refrigerator. The lower end of the drain-fitting 39 may be connected to a drain-pipe or may discharge directly into a receptacle.

As water from the melting ice trickles downwardly through the drain-nipple 20 of the draintray I9, it will collect within the lower portion 2l of the body-member 23, and when its level reaches a level above the upper surface of the Weir-guard 3 l the water will be discharged downwardly over the upper edge of the Weir-tube 29 with a relatively-sudden rush into the upper drain-tube 363 and thence vdownwardly into the lower drain-tube 3l and the drain-fitting 39. The Water will then againcollect and the cycle will be repeated, though in between cycles the Weir-guard 3l, together with the Weir-tube 29, will serve to provide a water-seal effectively preventing the upward movement of air through the Weir-tube 29 and thence upwardly through the body-member 23, cap-member 22 and drainnipple 2t into the ice compartment I6.

It would appear that, owing to surface tension, water does not force its way between the upper edge of the Weir-tube 29 and the under face of the horizontal end wall of the Weir-guard 3l until the water level has reached a point appreciably above the said end wall.

When it is desired to remove the drain-trap, the upper drain-tube or the lower drain-tube, the cap-member 22 may be grasped by its periphery and depressed against the tension of the spring 30 sufficiently to clear its upper end from the lower end of the drain-nipple 20. The said cap-member, the body-member 26, as well as the parts installed therein, may now be rocked from beneath the drain-nipple 20 and removed for cleansing or for any other purpose. The draintrap may also be removed by lifting upwardly upon the body-member 2G against the tension of the spring 3l] and then swinging the lower end of the said body-member laterally from out of registration with the upper end of the upper drain-tube 34.

After the removal of the drain-trap, the upper drain-tube 34 and the lower drain-tube 31 may,

in turn, be removed, if desired.

The drain system may be reinstalled by reversing the operations above referred to, and when so reinstalled, the tension of the spring 30 not only tends to maintain the cap-member 22 in engagement with the drain-nipple of the drain- .tray i9 but also serves to seat the lower end of thebody-member 26 in the funnel-like upper end 33 of the upper drain-tube'34. Furthermore, the tension of the spring 3l) also tends to maintain the lower Yend of the upper drain-tube 34 in telescoped engagement with the lower drain-tube 31, and to maintain the lower end of the lower draintube 3l in telescoped engagement with the drainfitting 39.

By providing a drain-system which includes a plurality of members and in which is included a telescopic member such as the trap described and shown, the removal of the drain-system for cleaning and other purposes is greatly facilitated and the firm retention of the parts in place is assured. It is preferred, andas is shown, to incorporate the axially-telescoping spring-extended portion of the drain-system in the form of a trap which thus provides a compact and Well shielded unit, the disassembly of which is facilitated by the tension of the spring 30 or its equivalent after the trap is removed from the system.

The invention may be carried out in other specinc ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics 4of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim: v l

1. A drain-trap system for refrigerators and the like comprising: a plurality of members axially aligned and including separable telescopically interfltting members, each of the said plurality of members having a drain-passage therethrough and the opposite ends of the telescoped members being each engageable with a drain-fixture; and spring-means urging the said telescoping-members axially apart to seat the respective opposite ends thereof in engagement with oppositely-located drain-fixtures of a refrigerator, the said spring-means being constructed and arranged to hold each of the said separable telescopically-interitting members in normally-fixed engagement with one of the said drain-fixtures.

2. A drain-trap system for refrigerators and the like comprising: a plurality of members axially aligned and including separable telescopica!- ly intertting members, each of the said plurality of members having a drain-passage therethrough and the opposite ends of the telescoped members being each engageable with a drain-fixture; and a helical spring housed within one of the said members and urging the same axially away from an adjacent member to seat the respective opposite ends thereof in `normally-fixed engagement with oppositely-located drain-fixtures of a refrigerator.

3. A drain-trap for refrigerators and the like including in combination: two separable telescopically-'intertting members each having a drain-passage therethrough in communication with the drain-passage of the other member; water-trapping means carried by one of the said members; and spring-means fitting Within one of the said telescopically-intertting members and operatively engaging with the other thereof to force the two said members apart into seated and normally-fixed engagement respectively with adjacent drain-ttings of a refrigerator.

4. A drain-trap for refrigerators and the like including in combination: two separable telescopically-intertting members each having a drain-passage therethrough in communication with the drain-passage of the other member; Water-trapping means carried by one of the said members; and a helical spring housed jointly within both of the said telescoping-members and urging the same axially apart to seat the-same respectively against and in normally-fixed engagement with adjacent drain-fittings of a refrigerator.

5. A drain-trap for refrigerators and the likev including in combination: a hollow body-member having a Weir; a separable cap-member telescopically intertting with the said body-member; and spring-means urging the said bodymember and the said cap-member axially apart and constructed and arranged to hold the same ber; and a helical spring housed partially withinv the said body-member and partially within the said cap-member and urging the two said members axially apart, the said helical spring beingl constructed and arranged to hold the said hollow body-member and the said cap-member respectivelyin normally-fixed engagement with a drain-fixture.

. "I. A drain-trap for refrigerators and the like including in combination: a hollow body-member having a vWeir; an inverted cup-shaped weirguard fitting over the weir of the said hollow body-member; a separable cap-member telescopically intertting with the said body-member; and a helical spring housed partially within the said body-member and partially within the said cap-member and encircling the said weirguard, the said helical spring being constructed and arranged to urge the two said members axially apart and to hold the same respectively in normally-fixed engagement with a drainxture.

8. A drain-trap for refrigerators and the like including in combination: a hollow body-member having an apertured lower wall; a Weir-tube installed in the aperture of the lower wall of the said body-member and extending above the same;, a separable cap-member telescopically interfltting with the said body-member and having apassage therethrough communicating with the hollow interior of the said hollow body-member; and a Weir-guard within the said bodymember extending over the said Weir-tube.

9. A drain-trap for refrigerators and the like including in combination: a hollow body-member having an apertured lower wall; a weir-tube installed in the aperture of the lower wall of the said body-member and extending above the same; a separable cap-member telescopically intertting with the said body-member and having a passage therethrough communicating with the hollow interior of the said hollow body-member; a Weir-guard within the said body-member extending over the said Weir-tube; and a helical spring located partially within the said bodymember and partially within the said cap-member and encircling the said Weir-guard within the said body-member.

10. A drain-trap system for refrigerators and the like comprising: a body-member having a drain-passage therethrough; and a drain-member communicating with the said body-member; the said drain-member having an 'outwardly-extending flange at the upper end thereof and the said body-member having its lower end seated on the upper surface of and in inwardly-spaced relation to the outer periphery of the iiange of the said drain-member and positioned with respect to each other to secure collection of moisture at the exterior of the lower end of the said body-member and to provide for passage of collected moisture from exteriorly of the said bodymember to the interior of the said drain-member.

ll. A drain-trap system for refrigerators and the like comprising: a body-member having a drain-passage therethrough; and a drain-member communicating with the said body-member;

the said drain-member having a funnel-like portion at the upper end thereof and the said bodymember having its lower end seated on the upper surface of and within the funnel-like portion of the said drain-member and positioned with respect to each other to secure collection of moisture kat the exterior of the'lower end of the said body-member and to provide for passage of collected moisture from exteriorly of the said bodymember to the interior of the said drain-member.

12. A drain-trap system for refrigerators and the like comprising: a body-member having a drain-passage therethrough; a drain-member communicating with the said body-member; the said drain-member having a funnel-like portion at the upper end thereof and the said bodymember having its lower end seated on the upper surface of and within the funnel-like portion of the said drain-member `and positioned with respect to each other to secure collection of moisture at the exterior of the lower end of the said body-member and to provide for passage of collected moisture from exteriorly of the said bodymember tothe interior of the said drain-member; and spring-means acting on the said bodymember and urging the same against its seat Within the funnel-like portion of the said drainmember.

ADOLPI-I C. BECKER. 

